Have you wanted to add a tea festival to your life? Let me tell you all about the Northwest Tea Festival and why you want to go! 

The Northwest Tea Festival, in Seattle, Washington, was an incredible experience. The special nature of individuals who love tea, celebrating and exploring together, is not something I often get to take part in. It reignites my passion for tea and my drive to teach others who want to share in the spark that tea has given my life.

It was also exciting to meet so many individuals who serve as bridges between us and other parts of the world. The commitment to ensuring farmers are well cared for is powerful within the community. It was also warming to meet vendors whose families are running farms.

So many individuals were shocked or impressed that I traveled across the United States just to come to the show. For me, however, missing this would have been just another opportunity gone by. It wasn’t even a second thought that I needed to be there. I’m so glad I was!

In this article, you will learn more about the Northwest Tea Festival.

Format Of The Tea Festival

The group that planned this event did an excellent job. The event lasted two full days and was held at the Seattle Center, in downtown Seattle, near the Space Needle. It featured around 55 vendors offering a stunning range of teas to try.

During the event, there were two large stages for presentations on a range of topics, such as The Anatomy Of The Tea Plant to Will We Still Be Steeping in 2050?

There was also a section called the “Tea Bar”. This section of the festival featured tea demonstrations for attendees. I took part in a tea-and-dinosaur tasting, where favorite teas were paired with favorite dinosaurs, which was pretty fun.

At all the tables where tea companies were showcasing their teas, you could try sample after sample, which I obviously loved! It was great to see and taste some of the interesting teas that individuals are working on.

An added plus to the event is that pretty much everyone who came day one was gifted a teacup, which we used the whole weekend to try samples, and it was super bright.

 

Types of Vendors At The Tea Festival

Vendors at the Northwest Tea Festival had an incredible range. Companies were selling specific styles of tea: white, green, black, Pu-erh, etc.

Tea companies such as Nepal Tea Collective were there with great selections, such as their Reserve Series. This is a special project they have with their farmers. Jugetsudo had great cold-brew senchas to try, as well as fascinating blends like sencha and yuzu.

Some individuals focused on tea blends, such as those from Felicity Loft Teas in Alaska. There are also vendors selling only tea ware, or companies like Miro, which offer a full range of tea items, such as tea chocolates, tea pets, and different teas to go with them.

The festival had too many great companies to talk about in one sitting. Everyone was super generous, letting us try their teas, and were willing to chat with me about their business!

 

How To Make The Most Out Of An Event

 While this was only my second tea festival, I learned a lot! This festival was much larger than my previous events. Here were a few quick takeaways.

1. Make sure to eat. It feels like with a teacup, you may only try little bits of tea, but it ADDS UP. If you are sensitive to caffeine, it can cause you to get the shakes.
2. For me, being a blogger or someone who wants to work with brands, I waited until the end of day one, when everyone had cleared out, to start talking more deeply with brands I was interested in. I followed up with cards on day two, when it was a bit lighter.
3. Bring comfortable footwear! I was on my feet pretty much all day, except for when I sat for presentations.
4. Bring some water to rinse your palate. Tea vendors were not arranged by tea type, so you might want something that helps you transition from one to the next.
5. Try it all! Even teas you might not drink often, or might be a bit more adventurous for you. With the opportunity to try so many teas at a festival, you might as well. You never know, maybe something will spark your interest!

My Favorite Part of The Tea Festival

 There were three specific parts of the festival that I loved, which will be reasons I’ll be going to others in the future!

First, I had the unique opportunity to meet up with a fellow member of my tea educator cohort from Being Tea. We had spent all year together virtually, so being able to meet in real life and experience the festival together, bounce ideas off each other, attend presentations, and more was great.

Second, I loved meeting all of the vendors and chatting with them about their business. There are so many interesting individuals out there keeping tea going. It’s always amazing to meet people who share your passion. I appreciated their willingness to see how we can work together.

Finally, being able to try teas from all of these businesses was a ton of fun. I was able to sample unique teas that I hadn’t explored before and focus on their processing. From an educator’s perspective, seeing how businesses share their tea was excellent learning for me in developing my craft.

 

What’s Next? 

In 2025, I have a goal to attend three festivals nationwide and any local events. After speaking with many businesses, I am working on how to bridge the gap between individuals who sell tea and folks like me who educate. There is a big opportunity for educators to reach consumers, spark a love of tea, and, in turn, connect them with great businesses. I’m excited to keep developing on this journey.

Cheers!

For more reads on excellent tea experiences, check out my article reviewing The Brown Palace in Denver, Colorado.